Research, Citizen Science, and Environmental Equity

The Museum’s heat island and redlining work has been leveraged to attract over $1M for equity-focused climate action projects across the city external to the Museum. In addition, the Museum has been represented with an expert advisor/working group member for both RVAgreen2050 and Richmond 300, both of which envision a more equitable climate future for Richmond. The redlining work is now being featured in the Valentine's Breathing Spaces exhibit alongside the Museum’s community partnership with GroundworkRVA, Southside ReLeaf, Happily Natural Day, and Virginia Community Voice.

The Museum’s redlining and heat inequity work is being leveraged by the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis to help shape climate justice policy, including highlighting green workforce development partnership the Museum has established with GroundworkRVA, which helped establish the nationwide Climate Safe Neighborhoods project through Kresge Foundation and GroundworkUSA.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded the Museum a nearly $250,000 grant to lead volunteer teams of citizen scientists to assess and guide funds further the Museum’s efforts both to understand how a warming climate impacts Richmond, including the health of residents, and to engage citizens in the process of collecting and interpreting environmental data. This project will study air quality in Richmond neighborhoods, including the booming Scott’s Addition area.

Part of this project included the hiring of a Community Science Catalyst who has now leveraged an ASTC Community Science Fellowship and two NIH small grants in collaboration with UVA, and NOAA grant that built partnership around equitable climate action projects in Richmond with community non-profit partners listed above.

The Museum was recognized for this work with awards, including:

  • Climate and Health Award for Teaching Excellence by Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action (Jan 2020)
  • Trailblazing Partnership Award awarded by the Metropolitan Business League for our work with Groundwork RVA (March 2020)

Gateway to a More Livable City

Living its mission, the Museum leverages its urban footprint and guest engagement as a catalyst to neighborhood development and environmental stewardship. The Museum’s campus anchors the important Arthur Ashe Boulevard and Broad Street cross roads into the city.

Our climate science team partners with the surrounding neighborhoods to understand and improve environmental conditions that will enhance the neighborhood’s role in a livable, walkable city. In 2020, the Museum was honored with a Virginia Green Travel Star program Vision Award by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Green Travel Alliance and the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association.

In April 2021, the Museum opened the free accessible-to-all urban greenspace, The ProtoPath. The Museum will continue this work by converting six acres of surface parking into the city’s only civic green space along the Pulse bus rapid transit system.

Out-of-School Time

Focused on partnering with youth agencies to reach students in communities with high poverty and low performance in STEM subjects, the Museum launched its Out-of-School Time (OST) STEM program. At the heart of this programming is a focus on engaging youth during early adolescence, a pivotal time in their cognitive, emotional, and social development. Our programming model seizes the critical window of out-of-school time to cultivate students growing independence through open-ended exploration around real-world topics. This program empowers mentors and OST program leaders to facilitate powerful learning, and it leverages the youth development benefits of mentor relationships to build learner confidence and connect young people to broader community and viable career paths.

Our focus on out-of-school time has led to strategic partnerships with youth development agencies. The Museum’s collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs has been the most robust through the years, growing out of our shared commitment to “enable young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential.” The Museum has worked closely with Richmond Public Schools on the curriculum development for their 21st Century Community Learning Centers and has continued through the years to be an OST content partner and resource.

Our OST programming reaches beyond Richmond City and is also found in Petersburg and Hopewell in Boys & Girls Clubs, 4-H clubs and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

Local Partners:

  • Boys & Girls Clubs: 100% of Regional Clubs (5)
  • Higher Achievement: 100% of Regional Sites (2)
  • Communities in Schools: Programming partner in several counties
  • 4-H: Program development, delivery and sharing
  • Libraries across the Commonwealth: STEM training and materials for six regional Hubs serving the State of Virginia through the Virginia Library Association, New Library Advisory Council; Library Intermission programming
  • CodeVA: Provides code programming afterschool in The MiX
  • Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority: Providing access to Museum general and specialized programming.

Maker Education

Deepening the Science Museum’s opportunities for applied, purposeful learning, The Forge and MiX provide both structured and open-ended experiences that foster interest in STEM skills and opportunities to develop applied STEM skills. Our Maker Education experiences foster a greater understanding of the relevance of classroom lessons, goal setting and self-efficacy necessary to pursue and persist in STEM career pathways, building an awareness among young people and their families of the broad range of in-demand jobs that utilize these skills. The STEM-based skills and knowledge that guests gain as a result of participation (and especially from repeat participation) can open eyes to everything from new hobbies to new career paths to an entrepreneurial opportunity, empowering guests to become more active participants in community life and in a Virginia economy that is increasingly dependent on STEM careers and innovative thinkers.

Historically teens have been a key demographic to our volunteer corps but an underrepresented group among Museum guests. The Museum launched the MiX, a digital learning lab, that provides free access to all teens. With more than 700 MiX members from both public and private schools all over the region, this learner-driven approach to learning makes the space so effective and inviting for teens.

Forge long-term project participants include:

  • GroundWork RVA’s Green Team
  • Autism Society of Central Virginia
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond in conjunction with the Capital One Coders program
  • Richmond Technical Center
  • Metropolitan Business League, Boys in Business event
  • National Association of Women in Construction
  • Compass Academy
  • The Faison School
  • Armstrong ACE Program
  • Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services

Girls in Science and Girls in Medicine Camp Ins

These popular annual events, play an important role in the Museum’s efforts to introduce children, especially girls, to science and create a sense of excitement around STEM. Middle school girls are invited to learn more about careers in STEM fields in these fun-filled overnights at the Museum. Leveraging corporate partners’ skill sets to deepen impact in the community, volunteers turn out in force introducing campers to the range or career paths in medical and engineering fields, allowing girls to envision themselves in future careers related to science.

  • Girls in Science: Started in 1997, funded and sponsored by DuPont, serving 150 middle-school girls and 50 chaperones per evening. This event was transformed into a day workshop in respond to COVID-19 restrictions preventing overnight camps.
  • Girls in Medicine: Started in 2006, this popular overnight serves 150 middle-school girls and 50 chaperones overnight each year and has been sponsored by Bon Secours Richmond Health System since 2016. This event was transformed into a day workshop in respond to COVID-19 restrictions preventing overnight camps.